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User talk:Ygrain
Just saying a friendly (quirkytalk for sarcastic) hi! So...I'll cut to the chase. Tolkien. How big a fan are we talking here? Peter Jackson fan...or Tolkien fan? I'm more of a Peter Jackson fan and pass it off as Tolkien because it sounds cooler (similar to a lot of things I say). I had a stint where I tried learning Quenya, but failed miserably because I was doing it all alone and now the only thing I remember is Elendil's Oath AKA Elessar's Oath AKA That Song Aragorn Sings Near The End of RotK (this sentence sounds better when 'heard' in a very fast...tempo? I forget the word). Also, teacher? I sincerely hope you aren't teaching HS. I was in HS not too long ago (half a decade ago) and I remember how...kindly...the teachers are treated. I remember my time as a TA. I wanted to smack half the freshmen to their senses. Unfortunately, that would have meant jail time. I'm too pretty for jail. Besides, I doubt they'd be interested in cuddling. Sort of a mood-killer. But that's just me. Creep you out yet?Quirkynature (talk) 04:12, July 13, 2011 (UTC) :Hi there :-) :Tolkien all and through, I'm afraid - and a profound Jackson hater, at that. Can't stand film version which forsake logic for the sake of visual effects :( :Et Eärello Endorenna... I used to know every single elvish line from the book by heart, but never really felt urged to learn Quenya or Sindarin past the meaning of name elements, don't know why. :TA - Teacher's Assistant, HS - High School? Well, yes, I'm afraid - though I must admit that unless I run into an especially nasty class, I am quite content the job and don't have a problem putting the students down. - In fact, I even sadistically enjoy it ;-) My credo is, "Rather than let the students step on your throat, step on theirs yourself", and it works. - Though, the urge to to a profound slapping is sometimes almost irresistible. :Now, what was supposed to be the creepy part? --Ygrain (talk) 04:48, July 13, 2011 (UTC) ::I tried reading the books when I was 15. Again at 17, then at 19. I guess I could try now, since I'm all "grown up", but I doubt I'll get past the first few pages. I understand up until page 100 it's pretty dull. ::You might call the films sellouts but you KNOW you loved the scene in which Legolas topples that giant elephant thing all by himself. And then Gimli's flustered retort. ::TA- Teacher's Assitant, HS- High School. Yes'm. I spent my senior year TAing my English teacher who, cruelly, put me in charge of assisting her in the first period. English. Not fun. Not enjoyable. But I learnt some patience there, I did. And compounded my issues there, I did. Might be where all my sarcasm stems from. Them kids weren't too bright to pick up on it, apart from making lewd remarks and ogling each other. I almost feel bad for them. Your credo, incidentally, is quite fitting. Survival of the fittest. Don't follow my advice but if you want to immediately shut somebody up, humiliate them. Won't earn you any favors, but it's a short term remedy. Hurts in the long run (I learnt that the hard way). ::The creepy part was supposed to be that senseless monologue about me in jail and the actions and reactions in there. But you ignored it and trolled the troll, so I salute you on that. Quirkynature (talk) 05:03, July 13, 2011 (UTC) :::Years of practice but thank you anyway, there are never enough compliments :-) And, as you may have noticed, I do tend to polish my sarcasm, as well. "I'm twice your age and know all these expressions twice as well, so do you really think I should be impressed?" made perfectly sure that I never heard any four-letter words in a particular class again. - In the long run, what works best is the reputation of the big bad teacher not to be messed with. Unlike some colleagues of mine, I do not hesitate to let my students fail if they are lazy, and that is the kind of news which always spread well. :::That idea of senior students assisting their teachers is quite compelling, we don't have anything like that around here. A pity - I sure know of a couple of candidates I'd gladly assign with the job :-) :::Concerning Tolkien - by "books" you mean LOTR trilogy, or the "holy trinity" Hobbit - LOTR - Silmarillion? If you are repelled by the beginning of the LOTR, skip to the Shadows of the Past to get a more detailed grasp of the history than was presented in the film, and then to the Prancing Pony; the narrative in between does have its specific poetics and appeal, but if it's not your cup of tea, there's no reason why should force yourself into it and be deterred even before you get to where the real fun begins. The Hobbit is probably the least favourite of mine, since I prefer the grand epic stories, which makes Silmarillion preferable for me, as well as its archaic, noble style of language. :::To tell the truth, while Gimli's retort is funny by itself, this is one of the scenes which make me uncomfortable. First, it's totally unrealistic, and I pay great attention to this (unless some magic is involved, of course). Second, there is the aspect of ethics. When the two played their scoring contest first, it was in Helm's Deep and they were counting Orcs. On Pelennor, Legolas is shooting Men. If you do get to the reading, you will notice that while Orcs are depicted as cretures of pure evil, Men fighting on their side are portrayed as beguiled or enslaved, and after the battles are generally shown mercy. - Needless to say, in the book the counting happens only in Helm's Deep and only with Orcs. I wonder if Jackson ever realized the difference. :::Creeped out? --Ygrain (talk) 08:53, July 13, 2011 (UTC) ::::I hate little kids using that four letter word. You're kids! Leave grown-up talk to grown-ups. But, noooooo, they like saying "fish". There's nothing wrong with saying 'aquatic vertebrate' but noooooo. Saying 'fish' is so much cooler. What's this world come to?! ::::If you do decide to suggest the idea, and if it does get implemented, for the love all that's good don't assign a student a first period class. Especially a senior. They already have senioritis and they tend to become bleary-eyed almost every time. Unless they're nerds (like me) and tend to wake up at 4 in the morning for some light reading ("I think I'll tackle a few hundred pages of David Copperfield today." Great book, by the by.) ::::The Hobbit I only know as the prequel to LotR. Silmarillion I've heard about cursorily. Seems like I've been very wrong. I'll take your advice and start at Shadows of the Past. If it turns out Aragorn isn't as Aragorn-y as he's supposed to be, I'll...have to get over it. How about The Hobbit? Worth a try? I doubt any Wiki would have the mind-numbing details Tolkien's so (in)famous for. ::::It's a known fact that directors tend to skip out a lot of material from the books when making a movie, but to that extent? I guess I was deluding myself into thinking Jackson kept as much material as he could. I'm going to have to revise my opinion once I finish the books. ::::Creeped out? Naah. Keep trying. I'll let you know when you hit it. :P Quirkynature (talk) 12:53, July 13, 2011 (UTC) :::::The Hobbit... it's basically a well-written book and certainly worth reading, but in comparison to the others, it is very clearly a children's read, with somewhat darker parts towards the end. The beginning of LOTR picks up the tone, though it is more sophisticated and pays greater attention to the nature and realia, and becomes a dramatic narrative from about the middle of Book I. Silmarillion may be a bit difficult read, since it's in the style of old epic poems, but it's certainly worth a try, if for nothing else then for the language. When read aloud, it has wonderful rhythm, like poetry in prose. :::::Jackson did quite an OK job in FOTR, where he more or less stuck with the book, though some additions and shifts he made felt wrong already back then. TTT and ROTK - er, DA2 equivalent. He dropped a lot of substantial material from the book and stuffed it with some material of his own, in a way which fits neither with logic nor with the atmosphere of the story. Were there a table in the cinema, I would have smashed my forehead bloody. Remember that part when Faramir forces Frodo and Sam to go with him and when they arrive at Osgiliath, Sam says "We're not supposed to be here", or something like that? Well, he's perfectly right, they shouldn't be there _at all_. Similarly, the book Aragorn and the movie Aragorn are two very different people, but the most glaring example of character abuse is definitely Faramir (aargh!). - Well, you'd better see for yourself, unless you want me to give spoilers? :-) I sure never tire of Jackson bashing :D ::::::I guess I'll Wiki the Hobbit, then. I've seen the trilogy enough times to recall in excruciating detail exactly what happened in the past (lolol quiz me on that and watch me bungle it up) so I'll start up with Fellowship. As for Silmarillion, I'd be willing to give it a try, sure, no harm. Worst that happens is I give it up. Won't the first book, nor the last. :::::: As for spoilers, go right ahead. It'd soften up the impact. So, in a way, I'd owe you. How's that for irony? Quirkynature (talk) 14:17, July 13, 2011 (UTC) Thanks! You haven't been on the Wiki much (or lurking tsk tsk) so I didn't get the opportunity to thank you, but I did take up LotR (I'm on TTT now) and...it's very nice. I now see what you meant about the differences between the novel and the movies (the fact that Gandalf recommended Helm's Deep in the books is still a source of astonishment). So, thanks for recommending the books. I'm enjoying them a lot. Quirkynature (talk) 22:27, August 7, 2011 (UTC) :I was on holiday - I did manage to do some lurking but not posting :-) I'm really glad you're enjoying the books, we can discuss the various aspects after you've finished - if you want to, that is. --Ygrain (talk) 05:19, August 8, 2011 (UTC) ::Hope your holiday went well. Shouldn't really have been lurking on a holiday :P ::If I want to? I'd love to--if you want to, that is. Quirkynature (talk) 05:24, August 8, 2011 (UTC) :::With a three-year-old on my heels, every distraction is welcome, even on holiday :-) :::Sure, go ahead --Ygrain (talk) 05:43, August 8, 2011 (UTC) LotR discussion Faramir isn't a...power hungry fool that Jackson portrayed him as! I finished the part where he meets the hobbits and I actually like Faramir as a character. Jackson made him a redeemed character, so that surprised me. Also stunning: Gandalf suggesting Helm's Deep as a retreat option rather than condemning it. Remarkable: Aragorn isn't a "aww shucks...I don't want to be king" ranger, he's more of a "I AM the rightful king of Gondor...just not yet". What has Jackson done to LotR?! Quirkynature (talk) 22:06, August 13, 2011 (UTC) :"What has Jackson done to LotR?!" - I believe "screw" is the word, but I'm not very familiar with English slang, so you may come up with something more fitting ;-) :Can't say what the true reason was but since the movie Aragorn does not really shine on his own, there couldn't be any other strong warrior-style character which would detract attention from the not-so-heroic king-rather-not-be. But don't worry, there's worse to come :-( :Similarly, I can only guess that Aragorn is so alistairing about becoming king because either 1) the way the character is depicted, he is not fit to the royal shoes, or 2) Jacson was trying to be "psychological" - and that in a film where there's really no space for additions, or 3) an inherited claim to power would not sit well with American audience. Or all of them. :Gandalf has a few more tricks up his sleeve, just wait for Minas Tirith and the confrontation with the Witch-King. --Ygrain (talk) 05:05, August 14, 2011 (UTC) ::You know, it's a bad, bad thing to do but I'm going to go ahead and say the books were DA:O and Jackson made DA2. Would that be a fitting analogy or a tad too harsh? ::There's worse to come for Aragorn? What, the Dimholt Road? That part? What do you mean, worse to come? Oi! Miss! What do you mean, worse to come?! ::Gandalf vs. the Witch-King of Angmar? According to Jackson, the latter is far stronger. That's wrong, too? ::Tell me the bromance between Legolas and Gimli continues? I'm getting rather attached to that stocky dwarf and his notched axe. Reminds me of Bruenor, maybe, that's why? Tsk, tsk. Quirkynature (talk) 12:28, August 15, 2011 (UTC) :::I think your analogy fits perfectly, both screwed something magnificent that originally worked. :::I meant worse to come for Faramir, but, you know, do you really expect the book Aragorn to attack someone from behind, or to attack someone coming to parley at all? :::The WK... well, without giving you unnecessary spoilers, since the scene is IMHO one of the real peaks, it is not power but the manner of the encounter which matters here. BTW, was the prophecy concerning the WK already mentioned? :::Yes, Legolas and Gimli are now best buddies forever and beyond :-) --Ygrain (talk) 13:01, August 15, 2011 (UTC) ::::Do I expect the Dúnadan to attack somebody from behind? I don't know. He doesn't seem dishonorable, but the faux Faramir did, and, boy, was I wrong. Honestly? I doubt it. Is there even a Dimholt Road? Oh blessed God, did Jackson INVENT the whole ghost thing? ::::He's been mentioned in passing in Fellowship by Gandalf when it became common news that he'd stabbed Frodo with the Morgul blade. Gandalf hinted that he was *the* most powerful of the Nine, the Witch-King of Angmar, and beyond the skill of the Fellowship. Or was that the Balrog? Or maybe both? I don't rightly remember. But he HAS been mentioned by Gandalf in Fellowship as the most powerful of the Nine. ::::As for the Elf and the Dwarf being bestest buddies, yeah, that became evident when Legolas asked Fangorn for permission to visit his forest--only if Gimli could visit, too. And Gimli asked Legolas to visit the cave system underneath Helm's Deep. ::::Have you read The Silmarillion? I'm thinking of moving onto that once I'm done with LotR. Technically, that's basics. I should've started with that--and continued with The Hobbit before moving onto LotR, but what the heck. Your input? Quirkynature (talk) 21:46, August 15, 2011 (UTC) :::::But of course there is the Dimholt Road - but like most things, it looks nothing like Jackson made it. - There is no gooseberry jelly flooding Minas Tirith, either. - Speaking of Jackson's inventions, there are just two which I consider really good: swapping an unimportant Erkenbrand for Éomer, which knits the plotline closer together, and that scene with Arwen mourning Aragorn's death. :::::The one exceeding the powers of the Fellowship was the Balrog. - Well, this is not so important, so I'll give this away: there is a prophecy that the WK will not be slain by a man; it was mentioned either at Elrond's Council, or somewhere during the chapters about the siege of Minas Tirith. Was this mentioned anywhere in the film? :::::Of course I have; I have already recommended it, after all. However, it is a very different book, a different reading experience, and so is The Hobbit. Do give it a try, and don't be repelled by the beginning again ;-) --Ygrain (talk) 04:57, August 16, 2011 (UTC) :Gooseberry jelly flooding Minas Tirith. That made me lol. Perfect description. :WK will not be slain by a man. Yeah, Jackson incorporated that into the movies. Right before Éowyn killed him. Some consider it the most iconic scene of LotR, I consider it one of the more...um...foreseeable scenes. "I am no man." Stab! Inhuman screech! Shockwave! WK's helmet falls to the ground, crumpled and broken. Hmm. :The Silmarillion I'm definitely itching to read; The Hobbit I'm not so sure of, probably because I don't feel any attachment for Bilbo and, by association, for Frodo. I'll try not to get repelled by the beginning, but since I haven't read them at all yet, 'again' doesn't apply ;-) Quirkynature (talk) 12:31, August 16, 2011 (UTC) ASOIAF Ygrain, regarding the parallels between the franchises, I can see the following, though I agree that they are skilfully done, and it's hard to see the similarities unless you're actually looking for them. Anyway: * Warden = Night's Watch * Darkspawn = The Others * Qunari = Dothraki (to some extent) * Blood magic * Grey morality * A distrust of magic, especially the way Dothraki/Qunari treat magic-users. * Both series have a "healthy" obsession with killing off important characters :) Would you mind sharing the link to your comparisons on my talk page (I'm only halfway through A Storm of Swords so you've probably got much more than me!) KC. | talk 23:28, August 21, 2011 (UTC) :Very interesting parallels! KC. | talk 10:52, August 22, 2011 (UTC) Mass Effect 2 You did a good thing starting ME2, but I honestly recommend you stop where you are and play ME first. I honestly feel the impact of the series is heavier if you follow in order. Besides, Wrex! That said, what class did you take? Hmm? Hmm? Quirkynature (talk) 21:34, September 3, 2011 (UTC) :Too late to stop, I'm afraid - I've invested too much time into it, and with starting to work full time since this term, there's a fat chance that I won't have the time for gaming at all :-( I'd better finish what I have on hand now, rather than end up with two unfinished games at the same time. :Wrex seems to be dead by default - too bad, since he seemed to be an open-minded type. However, since the genophage issue has been raised again, I guess I can revert the decision - I just hope it is the right thing to do (in fact, I pestered Mordin about it just yesterday). :Ugh... I picked what I thought would be easiest to use, i.e. soldier (based on the analogy that warrior class is easier to use than a mage). Spacer, the sole survivor, Paragon (with Renegade actions in fight and when dealing with the Illusive man), flirting with Kelly and romancing Jack (why does everyone seem to go for Miranda, by the way?) - oh, and male :-) --Ygrain (talk) 06:20, September 4, 2011 (UTC) ::Yeah, Wrex is dead by default. =\ Ah, well. ::Actually, Soldier IS the easiest class. Adrenaline Rush just makes everything so much...easier. I don't know if you have the DLC or not, but the M-96 Mattock in the hands of a Soldier is just...overkill. Even on Veteran. Add in the Widow (what did YOU take on the Collector Ship?) and it's as close you come to a cakewalk, IMO. ::Romanced Jack? You know, I've heard it's a very well done LI, but I just couldn't get past the fact that Garrus wasn't romanceable (rule 63 apply here, maybe?). ::You played male? **Paragon interrupt** You liking it much so far? I've heard Jennifer Hale's done a very good job as Shepard, too. Quirkynature (talk) 13:41, September 4, 2011 (UTC) :::Huh, it seems I'm not using my Shep very efficiently (hardly a surprise, since I really suck at anything strategy- or tactic-wise, and always get to know the tricks just by the time the game is almost over). I haven't played a shooter, or a SF, for that matter, before, so the guns are rather confusing for me (now, really, swords are somewhat easier to get to know). - When I went to the Collector ship, it seemed sensible to take that Collector particle thingy, and I really can't complain about the result :-) Under normal circumstances, I find myself in favour of sniper rifles (a good headshot is cool!) and also the geth plasma shotgun. I probably should have picked another class, but... as long as I'm having fun, I have no problem with it. - Actually, I took down the thresher maw with the sniper rifle ("several offers of breeding for Grunt and one for Shepard", lol!) :::I _usually_ enjoy playing as male, especially in heroic stories, since I like my eye candy :DD (I played as a female in Morrowind, and spent quite a lot of time furnishing various houses with the trinkets I picked on the road - the open world stories seemed to be better for females ;-) ) And I'm quite satisfied with male Shepard, he is just the way I imagine that this type of hero should be. :::Romancing Jack is really good, a bit similar to romancing Morrigan but IMHO even better (what, Morrigan refusing to be bedded for like half the game? Nonsense, my silver-tongued Warden would definitely do something about it) :::Garrus is not romanceable? What a shame. I took an instant liking to him, like after thirty seconds of dialogue. Who is the popular romance for females then, Jacob? --Ygrain (talk) 15:12, September 4, 2011 (UTC) :I don't know about efficiency. Have fun. That's the main point. The only reason I can pretend to be sage-meister supreme about ME2 is because I spent 4 months (at least) replaying it. :I'd dole out advice on which weapon to use when, but I'll leave that until after your first complete playthrough. :I like Garrus' voice most, followed by Tali and male Shepard. The best voice acting, IMO, goes to the Illusive Man. Hands down. Perfect, or near perfect, rendition, I'd say. Martin Sheen FTW. :I pre-ordered the N7 Collector's Edition for ME3. Can't wait. Quirkynature (talk) 16:46, September 4, 2011 (UTC) ::My first complete playthrough? My first and only, I'm afraid. RL keeps kicking in and distracting me from fun, I'm afraid. Anyway, I'm for Samara's mission, and then the "derelict" Reaper ship. Can't wait...--Ygrain (talk) 06:23, September 5, 2011 (UTC) Yay, you finished ME2. Shoot away. I'm here. Quirkynature (talk) 04:28, September 21, 2011 (UTC) :/bang/ Well, where to start? - Aaaawesome. When I checked the journal, I went to do the DLCs first: the Lair of Shadow Broker (heh, I'm definitely going to romance Liara in ME1, it seemed that she had a very soft spot for Shepard), Overlord and Arrival before the Reaper IFF. Really great adventures. I snatched David from Cerberus (really love pisssing the IM off these days) and I really appreciated the little talk Shepard has with Hackett at the end of Arrival - the one where you can take responsibility for blowing up the system and the casualties. Definitely seems like the kind of stuff a Paragon Shepard should do, and it is what I missed in Awakening: getting to deal with the consequences of your actions, even though they were for the greater good. Adds flavour to the play, I guess (- uhm, needless to say that I burned Amaranthine, right?) :The derelict Reaper was damn creepy, especially when knowing that those husks are actually the people whom you see in the logs (I _hate_ husks, they far too fast for zombies). And the Suicide Mission... Wow. I was rather worried about picking wrong people for the tasks, since I knew that a wrong choice might kill them, but there were quite clear clues who to assign and, yay! no-one was left behind. I sent Legion to crawl and hack the door, Samara held the biotic field and Garrus was the second team leader.Fighting through the station was surprisingly easy for a final battle and with my standard squad of Jacob with Pull field and Miranda with Heavy Overload, I didn't even lack the ammunition (and carefully picked all I found). Getting down the Reaper Larva with a sniper rifle took some time but was quite easy - now, I was saving the particle beam for the _real_ trouble, like a band of scions and a couple of Praetorians coming right in the middle of the party, but they never turned up :-) - And I blew up the base, since I was no way going to let the IM get his paws on Reaper technology. What a pleasure, to tell him "I keep getting lots of bullshit on this line" and have Joker to cut him off :-)) :Now, what is supposed to be that big impact at the end? The Reaper fleet not so much, since I have already seen the ME3 trailer. That spoiler in my Sheaprd vs. Hawke thread suggested the Illusive Man being indoctrinated but I haven't noticed any clue for that. Am I missing something? :All in all: _much_ better than DA2. More interesting and gripping quests, companions who do not like like caricatures of themselves (now, isn't it interesting that Tali can be cute even without biiig eyes and babbling like an idiot?), and a total badass hero. Not as deeply immersive as Origins, but still very gripping. - Definitely the best part of the DA2 edition :-) --Ygrain (talk) 12:52, September 21, 2011 (UTC) Wouldn't that playthrough have been sooo much better if you hadn't seen the trailer for ME3? I honestly think so. Sure, you expect the Reapers to come sometime but to see them right there, by the numbers, is just jarring and exciting. The Illusive Man/Cerberus being indoctrinated was revealed in a teaser somewhere in E3. I didn't have the energy to look for it, but the confirmation is on the ME wiki. Lancer cuts down speculation on the official posts faster than you can say 'sorry'. But...wait for it. XD Shepard rallies the galaxy against a Reaper fleet. How awesome does that sound? How AWESOME does THAT sound? I'm really psyched about ME3. Can't wait. Also, you going to give it another playthrough? Quirkynature (talk) 18:56, September 21, 2011 (UTC) :Well... since The Arrival makes it pretty clear that the Reapers are already on their way and the destruction of the base is really nothing that might stop them, the Harbinger says it all: "You've accomplished nothing." Shepard only acoomplished his personal goal of saving his crew and threw back the construction of a Human Reaper, but nothing he did in ME2 could have averted the invasion. I rather wonder, what the Reaper truly are and what their intentions are? The Geth call them "Old Machines", EDI says that they are part organic, part anorganic, and that the Reaper Larva is a part of their reproduction cycle - also, that they failed to make a Prothean Reaper. What makes the human race more convenient for making a Reaper than other? I noticed they mentioned something about a genetic diversity of the human race, which is basically nonsense, since the human race is genetically very uniform, due to a bottle-neck event in our history. To claim that humans are genetically more diverse would mean that the other races must have had an even closer bottle-neck event in their own histories. And WTH do they mean by that "salvation through destruction" part? :Another point of intrigue: why is Shepard so damn important that the Reapers want him so badly, and alive, if possible? Is there something so unique about his genes, or do they want to indoctrinate him and use as a weapon, or does it have anything in common with that Prothean transmission, which is probably stored somewhere in his mind? :Can't wait for ME3, either :-) - Luckily, I still have ME1 to go :D I'll take a little break from gaming, for a couple of weeks, since there is work piling up and I'd like to indulge in a couple fo hobbies again - writing, and also some crochetting or embroidery, my hands just ache to actually make something. Then there's still The Witcher, and Skyrim soon... Meaning, I probably won't be able to make a second playthrough. Besides, I really like _this_ particular Shepard and can't imagine making a new one. - Female Shep, maybe, but this one is just awesome ;-) :BTW, is it very different if you play as Paragon or Renegade? --Ygrain (talk) 10:05, September 22, 2011 (UTC) Fanfic Hey, I checked out your profile on FanFiction.net, and I have to say that I'm staggered! I've only read Ashes and Embers so far, but I was enraptured. You're very talented and I can't wait till I get a chance to read your other stuff! 21:32, September 21, 2011 (UTC)